U.S. Under-20s Open Qualifying With a 6-1 Victory Over Trinidad & Tobago

U.S. Ties Record For Second Most Goals Ever in a CONCACAF Qualifying Game

U.S. Will Face Panama on Friday, June 14 With Chance to Clinch Spot in World Championship

CARSON, Calif. (January 12, 2005) — The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team scored five goals in the first half, including three goals in the first 10 minutes, as they dominated Trinidad & Tobago 6-1 in their opening match of Group A of the U-20 Final Round CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament this evening at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Midfielder Eddie Gaven was magnificent from his attacking midfielder position, leading the way with a first-half hat trick, knocking home his three strikes in the first 25 minutes.

Paried with a 1-1 draw between Panama and Costa Rica in the earlier match, the U.S. will have the chance to solidify their place in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with a victory in their next match against Panama on Friday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. ET. The U.S. sits atop Group A with three points.

The outcome was never in doubt when Gaven started the rout with his first goal in the 2nd minute as he got free in the box and headed home a short cross from Marvell Wynne. Gaven added two more before the half, while the U.S. also getting on the board with a penalty kick from Freddy Adu and an own goal off the head of T&T defender Makan Hislop.

In the second half, the U.S. continued to push forward and pepper T&T goalkeeper Hasely Holder, finishing with a 17-9 shot advantage, but only managed to slip one more over the goal line when Will John tapped home from a yard away in the 53rd minute.

“We can’t ask for much more than getting three points in our first match,” said U.S. Under-20 head coach Sigi Schmid. “We really were able to come out and take the wind out of their sails with three quick goals in the first ten minutes, which really put them out of the match. We haven’t qualified for Holland yet though and now we have to start concentrating on Panama for Friday.”

The six goals tied the second most ever by U.S. Under-20 team in qualifying, matching the identical 6-1 result also over Trinidad & Tobago on Aug. 9, 1998. The USA’s U-20 1998 squad was also coached by Schmid, whose record in qualifying is now 3-0-1. The most goals ever scored by the U.S. in a U-20 qualifying tournament was a 9-0 victory over the Dominican Republic on Sept. 26, 1976.

Gaven’s hat trick was only the second ever by a U.S. player in U-20 qualifying, with Ricky Davis scoring three against the Dominican Republic in 1976. Richard West of Jamaica has the most goals during CONCACAF qualifying with four in Jamaica's 12-0 win over Antigua & Barbuda on Aug. 21, 2004.

Along with Gaven, Feilhaber was one of the best players on the field for the U.S., getting directly involved with all of the USA’s first four goals. Playing at right midfield, Feilhaber found Wynne wide-open on the right flank enabling him to serve in the cross for Gaven’s first strike. Minutes later, it was Feilhaber who drew the foul in the penalty area after running down a throw-in from Wynne on the right sideline, providing the U.S. with their penalty kick and Adu’s eventual goal.

Feilhaber also set up Gaven for his second goal when he ran down a ball inside the penalty area just before it reached the endline and cut it back across the goalmouth to Gaven about 14 yards out. Gaven hit the perfect pass first time, calmly placing it low past Holder.

The next two goals both came from Trinidadians, but provided each country with a tally. In the 17th minute, Makan Hislop tried to stop Gaven from finding the back of the net once again, stepping in front of the midfielder on a Feilhaber corner kick at the far post, but instead he accidentally directed his header into his own net.

Six minutes later, Kevin Crooks was able to get T&T on the board. With central defender Patrick Ianni out of the match after being taken off the field after getting hit in the head during a challenge in the air, Hayden Tinto got free down the right sideline and curled in a ball to the middle of the penalty area. Shane Calderon was able to flick it towards the back post and Crooks buried his shot into the lower-left corner past a helpless Quentin Westberg.

The lone goal in the second half came in the 53rd minute when Adu got free on the left flank and sent in a dangerous cross. John was able to get a head to it and direct it on goal, and the ball deflected off Holder’s chest as he came off his line for the save and bounced over his head. With Holder on the ground, both John and Barrett had the opportunity to tap it into the open net, Barrett leaving it for John to finish.

Ianni and Wynne both were taken off the field and substituted during the first half after suffering injuries. Ianni had blurred vision, while Wynne was undercut and suffered a contusion to his sciatic nerve. Both players were deemed to be most likely available for Friday’s game against Panama.

In the first match, Costa Rica and Panama were scoreless until Jose Luis Cordero scored from 10 yards out in the 54th minute. In the 66th minute, Costa Rica was reduced to 10 men when Greivin Arce received his second yellow card and Panama’s Armando Gun buried home into the upper-left corner for the equalizer 10 minutes later. - U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Game Report -